Storm Tossed (Part A)

Hebrews 13 verse eight Jesus Christ the same yesterday today and forever is the same change. I like to think that this ministry overall was. Not going to change like it the way it is coming there certain adjustments you have to make sure what the foundation of it is in Christ.

That's not change and it is the biblical approach. Hopefully as we understand attempts to change shape conform Jesus Christ into anything said this is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville.

Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Mark, please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, but for now let's join Pastor Rick in the gospel of Mark chapter 4 with a brand-new message called storm tossed we are in Mark's gospel chapter 4 we will take versus 3541 beginning in verse 35 on the same day when evening had come. He said to them let us cross over to the other side.

Now when they had left the multitude they took him along in the boat as he was in other little balls were also with him in a great wind storm arose and the waves beat into the boat so that it was already filling but he was in the stern sleep on a pillow and they woke him and said to him, teacher, do you not care that we are perishing. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, peace be still in the wind ceased, and there was a great call but he said to them, why are you so fearful. How is it that you have no faith and they feared exceedingly said to one another who can this be that even the wind and the sea obey him, storm cost that's the title. This is one of the great stories in the entire Bible. One among many, of course, but it is a great one.

Not only is it one of the greatest stories. It is also a living parable. What those men experienced on that day runs parallel to the experiences that we face in in this life. Storms at sea life being metaphorically the sea, and of course we're on that boat that travels through it parables lessons from the Scripture.

These stories that are preserved for us to suppose to have some impact on our lives.

I would good are the parables the stories the insights the lessons if it never shows up in a way that brings any glory to God or improvement to ourselves as sinners, so these lessons are supposed to be meaningful.

We look at verse 35 there again.

We read on the same day when evening had come.

He said to them let us cross over to the other side. We know from their previous verses that it had been a full day of ministry he had taught many a parable and all that goes into ministering to multitudes of people, one of the other Gospels tells us that the multitudes were just your pressing on him. So we had to get in the boat to leave. It was part of what was going on that tells us that it was an exhausting day lease.

It helps us understand the realistic side of what is going on here teaching is tiring teaching the word of God. I believe even that increases that there's a an intensity that is it goes with teaching God's word that I don't think is found in other places, and according to his humanity experiences. He was exhausted.

That's twice going to be sleeping on a pillow in this windstorm won't even be awakened by so as productive as that day had been, it will not end without a storm. That's one of the first connections we make to life. You can have a productive life, productive day. A productive month, etc. and yet there's going to be a storm at some point these men in the boat with him and the other little boats that were also following likely with men and women in those boats. They were headed for this one of many opportunities to demonstrate to Christ that they had been listening to his parables and learning something about God in themselves, but had they learned that they really learn yet from the son of God himself.

That's who was the teacher what have they learned well. They want to find out what they didn't learn and they going to learn some new things and so he turned this storm on this little lake into a classroom for his disciples to this very day. We are still learning. I have called on this section of Scripture. Many times in my life. One particular one particular part sticks out the most to me Rabbi but you care that would perishing who has not felt that as a believer going through some very difficult stubborn and painful awful experience and it seems as though he is sleeping in the stern of the boat getting ahead of the story.

How can you not point that out early on church history is intermingled with success and failure in affliction, as is the Christian life in every generation we have to face it, but that's not enough. Not of the face life. The unbeliever can do that they can do it very well to we face life as though there is an eternal life as though there's something more. And we know it we are aiming towards it.

We want to perform accordingly.

Not trying to simplify any of our traumatic experiences in this life, not trying to brush over them. Those of you who have suffered great losses and pains. Not trying to dismiss that and say God's will to be a stronger Christian. We always are going to see you supposedly are stronger Christian were not going to say, as though it didn't count your pain-and-suffering Bible tells us that God is bottled up our prayers of tears. He knows what's going on but just to cover some of the failures that these apostles would face in ministry and ministry means serving God his pastoral ministry than this does non-pastoral ministry.

Everybody will serve the Lord who preaches the gospel who upholds the faith demonstrates the love of Christ.

That's ministry is to ministry in churches ministry outside of church very broad meaning all of it is significant in chapter 3, beginning in 14 verse 14 we read, and he appointed 12, that they might be with him that he might send them out to preach and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons. That was for that assignment. That did not remain with those men. They did not even remain with them for the rest of their lives.

For some of it it it would come back and go again. But then in chapter 9 we will read eventually in when he had come into the house. His disciples asked him privately, why could we not cast him out.

And so, in one's part of their serving Christ they had power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons and yet in another pot they could not cast out the demons and they were very troubled by this. They had experienced success in ministry and now they were tasting failure. Failure is always distasteful on every level, but it does not give us license to enter the flesh, and though we will from time to time, so he says to get into the boats that Wally says let us go to the other side to Coppola's. It's that area east of the Sea of Galilee. Once he arrives to that after the storm is going to have the going to face more challenges but will stay centered on the storms only a 6 mile journey where he wasn't Burnham across to the accomplice to the other side of the lake short trip these fishermen, several of them were veteran fishermen. Boatman they were in their element leader selling to us, Lord, go back and relax. I'm sure that's what azaleas goes back to sleep so that we are where we belong on the sea.

Verse 36 when they had left the multitude they took him along in the boat as he was in other little boats were also with him when they left the multitude will there's us of a failed statement by Mark that says don't forget there were multitudes of people pressing on him jostling and it was exhausting to just put that in there keeps in front of us. They took him along how much is packed into these words because what happens when someone doesn't take Jesus along. What happens if he's not with them because they did not invite him but made no room for him see these converses they leap out the glare at us. They asked questions such as what are you going to do life. What are you going to do when windstorms come up what you going to do when you have good success. We have to watch everything when the minefield this life. It says they took him along in the boat as he was another one leaps off the page as he was.

That's how they took him. I'm not overly spiritualizing these things there right there.

This is doctrinal. Jesus does not change.

In fact, theologians have given this a name. The immutability of God is unchanging does not change because is nothing to change is perfect as he is according to his humanity. He did develop, but he could pull the plug on that it any time and reverted back to his full-blown deity outside of his humanity, of course, he would not do that. He was here on a mission to accomplish that mission and he submitted himself to these things, the immutability of Christ and of God means we must receive him as he is, as it says here in the boat as he was Hebrews 13 verse eight Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever is the same.

Nothing change I like to think that this ministry overall is not going to change like it the way it is. I mean, there are certain adjustments you have to make sure, but the foundation of it is in Christ and that's not changing and it is a biblical approach. Hopefully as we understand attempts to change shape to conform Jesus Christ into anything sent you receive him as he is were not going to change him. We hope he changes us. Hebrews chapter 1 again verse 12 like a cloak he's quoting now. Psalm 102 there in Hebrews 1 like a cloak you will fold them up.

They will be changed, but you are the same and your years will not fail the sovereignty, the omnipotence of God.

Jesus Christ is God the son, and so here the psalmist of the right of the Hebrews is trying to tell the Hebrews listen. Our Messiah is God. He is divine and we have no need for anything else outside of him telling the Jews stop being Jewish and ethnically, but religiously go to the temple will bring sacrifices that you complete in him.

He's done at all. This one is better than Moses. This one is better than the temp. This one offered something better than animal blood sacrifice. He offered himself. Malachi chapter 3, for I am Yahweh. I do not change. I say that about Christ, God of the Godhead.

Of course they be less-than-perfect. What if God said you know what I'm working on and I'm just not fully.

We know into the this God thing like I want to be that would be off. That would be of heresy.

So again he was in the boat as he was, and I just wanted to take the time because I love talking about the majesty of Jesus Christ.

Other little boats. It tells us were also with him so we have a little this mini convoy is what we have here. They are going to provide witnesses to this miracle see when the apostles published these things. There were witnesses, eyewitnesses, and they would say help that happen. I was there I saw that they were not all everywhere in the same place at the same time some of them were because they were part of the apostles and the close-knit disciples but they were spread out with this testimony as many false gospels popped up and those who were eyewitnesses was a non-that's not right is not within the soul who created this demand to publish the gospel from reliable sources such as Mark Peter through Mark John himself. Matthew and Luke, the beloved physician storms of life. They rock us. The rock vessels that we are in our soul, our bodies and they do this with or without Jesus life is going to batter you, whether you're a believer or not being a believer will not get you out of or make an exception to this, but I also noticed where says here and other little boats were also with him that were never battered alone they going to be on the same trouble.

See these little battered boats will be together, they will all be going through this.

At the same time, remember we were talking about Samuel as the people said no we don't want you to be the judge anymore.

We want a king. Samuel was heartbroken, thinking that they rejected him, and to some degree, they did reject him, and then God said to Samuel, they're not rejecting you. The rejecting me uncle Samuels included in that is not left out of next he was siding with God. And so there. The Samuel was in fellowship with God. He wasn't suffering along. This is lessons throughout Scripture. One of the greatest prophets of them all. The great prophet Elisha thought that he was alone in his devotion the Eliza complex. We all have to watch.

I'm the only righteous when I'm the only good you know musician for the Lord.

I'm the only great pastor for the Lord okay take that one out that Eliza complex is not from the Lord and he wanted to let that be known. Eliza understand he had to. He had watched the prophets be slaughtered not only slaughter the prophets of bough, but he knew that Jezebel was killing men of God and other and they met were hiding prophets to keep them protected and after this great victory on Mount Carmel. He flees for his life and he gets to the cave and would pick it up in first Kings chapter 19 he speaking when the goddesses Eliza what you doing here. The snow ministry and gave all alone nobody to preach to so he said I've been very zealous for Yahweh God of hosts for the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left the seat to take my life will there's a lot of truth and that was the absolute truth and so God ministers to realize and then before leaving and moving to the next phase goddesses come about by the way God says in verse 18 first Kings 19 yet.

I have reserved 7000 in Israel all those needs have not bowed the Al and every mouth that has not kissed him.

These were the defiant ones. God knew who they were and he wanted us centuries later to remember that were never alone we never suffer alone. We never fight alone.

We may not see the others within their verse 47 now Mark's gospel chapter 4, and a great windstorm arose and the waves beat into the boat so that it was already filling where it says a great windstorm that were great in the Greek we get our English word mega from this word mega us in the Greek. This was a big storm that's the idea is were skilled fishermen. They been on that leg for movement probably all their lives they been around that lake and on it he knew they were doing this one was bigger than them. And on that sea of Galilee wins, you know there's these little gullies and hills and mountains all around, and the winds can come rushing down. Just all of a sudden live on the Sea of Galilee on a boat. Just all of a sudden the wind just picked up and came in both rock and fortunately it stopped.

I've been working on that walking on water thing, but I had perfected itself is still a little nervous anyway to be a fisher of men is to travel to see these are abstract lessons that are concrete that is a paradox. Sounds like it contradicts, but it does not. It makes its point where mega storms come from seemingly out of nowhere. That's life is just selling along short little journey 6 miles so in your hit with this thing that is going to try to take you to the bottom of the Sea of Galilee in Galilee goes as deep as 141 feet, and the waves beat into the boat. That's my life that your life at times.

Jesus is in the boat with them. Remember that he's tossed just as much as they were. He experiences this not remember this, God does not have to experience something to understand. He cannot learn because he knows it all. But to bring it interview to touch us so that we understand it, these experiences are laid out his suffering as a son. For example, is were told in Hebrews so that we can understand that we have a high priest who is sympathetic to us. It is a point of contact is a point of touch in touch is critical. Just be untouched. Just let somebody treat you like a leper. I've referenced Dr. Paul Brand book Philip Yancey. Paul ran fearfully, wonderfully made, and in his image and to's volume said wonderful read. I said now I read it four years ago, but still I think it's a great book. Will Dr. Brand worked with lepers. He restored their hands, that they had damaged in their feet. That was his specialty and he goes into great detail about how lepers crave to be touched somebody to shake their hand to pat them on the back and I remember wind when my mom went to the Lord. I went to work that day was what else to do. It was expected and I remember this unbeliever of the foreman on the job.

Eddie was his first name, but Eddie just came up. He said that I heard about your mom's tough loss. He put his hand on my shoulder and just walked away. The whole thing to split second and it was so meaning I didn't even know was going to be meaningful. I'm just working you know thinking that in a while. We expect that she's in a better place you suffering a little bit and the touch, the touch that the right time.

Some of you men need to be careful.

It's a touching should put that in their bill that the husband touch them on the shoulder, but to just understand the boundaries and understand how meaningful these things are and understand. Also, you don't always need your hands to touch somebody there other ways that you can touch another soul and be a blessing well in the waves beat into the boat. Well if you say battered boat, you're hungry, you might think it's battered like a corndog letter know, but it was beaten, buffeted, and you course. I think when I sitting in my study thinking of this, of course, a cow can I not think of certain verses. For example, second Corinthians, where Paul says, a messenger of Satan to buffet me. Plus I be exalted above measure. God knew that I needed to be held in check.

I didn't know that I'm thinking I'm doing pretty good, but God knows better and I'm submitted to that and he knows that he's invested so much in in me that the temptation to be puffed up had that Eliza complex that only I am truly used by God. God sent a messenger to just help hold me in place.

Acts chapter 28 we see Paul ministering. We thought were talking about the waves beating the boat life beating the life acts 28 verse three when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire of Viper came out because of the even fastened on his hand is on the Isle of Malta is such a fear of snakes.

He went screaming all the way to Germany. No eating.

That would be me. The point is there isn't ministry just survive shipwreck. He didn't survive a storm.

He did that, yes, but he survive shipwreck. In that case, the ship did rack some of them made it to shore broken pieces of the boat shattered dreams and their areas. Ministry after this traumatic experience, and of Viper gets him this life is we want to cry. What next Lord, do you really want to know I've heard a lot of folks say God only gives you what you can handle logics an issue with that because it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter you're going to deal with it, deal with it in Christ. That's the goal. Whether these things are too big for me or not.

I'm not going to take out time to point out biblical examples because I think you can do that yourself and were going to move on to the next section. Verse 37 where it says so that it was already filling, so the waves beat into the boat so that it was already filling sinking the boats were sinking both plural not just the one he was in all of them and the other ones were smaller vessels. They were tossed more Matthew adds this. The boat was covered with the waves they were getting smashed. Now this is a key point from this lesson in the Bible is one of those chapters that sticks with you for the rest of your Christianity.

If you're not faced before Lisa did for me. Read quite a few sermons on this chapter in my Christian walk and love them all.

But at this point is good to say that the presence of Christ on board does not guarantee smooth passage just because Christ is with you does not mean you're not going to get battered. Thanks for tuning in to cross reference radio for this study in the book of Mark cross reference radio is the teaching ministry of Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia to learn more information about this ministry. Visit our website cross reference radio.com once you're there you'll find additional teachings from Pastor Rick.

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